Yellowstone National Park · Idaho, Montana, Wyoming

Duck Lake Trail

0.4 mi of trail, end to end · about 90 ft of climbing · 7,801 ft–7,891 ft · earth surface · trail class Minimally Developed · hiking

Trailhead Duck Lake Trailhead 7,799 ft Drive there

Duck Lake Trail the Park Service's write-up

1-2 Hours · no dogs · Summer, Fall

Start West Thumb Geyser Basin

Climb a small hill for a view of Duck and Yellowstone lakes and the expanse of the 1988 fires that swept through this area. Trail descends to the shore of Duck Lake.

Safety notes: Always be aware of your surroundings.

Trailheads: West side of West Thumb Geyser Basin Parking Area.

This hike on nps.gov

On the parks map

About this trail's facts

The lines are the National Park Service's public trails layer, the trailheads and the waterfalls, views, peaks and historic places along them the Service's public points of interest, read 2026-10-16 and simplified for the map; the length is the line's, end to end. The write-ups are the Service's own "things to do" text, unedited. Heights come from USGS 3DEP through Terrain Tiles on AWS (Mapzen/Tilezen), read along each line and rounded; a short trail on steep ground can be off by a few tens of feet. Closures change: check the park's own site before you go.